On late Thursday night, I was a guest on Sportsnet FAN590 in Toronto. The show was Norm Rumak’s Sportsnet Overnight, so the segment didn’t air until 2:30 in the morning on the East Coast. It was pre-recorded at 8pm my time, so I was able to get a copy of the segment courtesy of the station.
Every Monday during the season, goalie specialist and founder of The Goalie Guild Justin Goldman will provide you with an in-depth analysis of fantasy goaltenders in NHL.com’s weekly segment: “In the Cage.” From updated goalie rankings to guys you should keep a close eye on and much more, Goldman will be your fantasy goalie expert all season long.
Every Monday during the season, Justin Goldman from The Goalie Guild provides NHL.com with an in-depth analysis of fantasy goaltenders in his weekly “In the Cage” segment. From updated goalie rankings to guys you should keep a close eye on and much more, Goldman will be your fantasy goalie expert all season long.
Every Monday during the season, Justin Goldman from The Goalie Guild provides NHL.com with an in-depth analysis of fantasy goaltenders in his weekly “In the Cage” segment. From updated goalie rankings to guys you should keep a close eye on and much more, Goldman will be your fantasy goalie expert all season long.
Poolies are facing quite the quandary with three Maple Leafs goalies right now. James Reimer is out for the foreseeable future due to his curious whiplash injury. Jonas Gustavsson is 3-2 in his last five games, but has a weak 3.68 goals-against average and .880 save percentage. Ben Scrivens won his NHL debut, but quickly went from hero to zero when the Bruins lit him up on Hockey Night in Canada.
IN THE CAGE: TORONTO’S GOALIE QUANDARYEven though Toronto has excelled through October, our advice is to stay away from the goalies. There’s simply not a lot of positive energy surrounding their fantasy value right now. Nobody knows how much time Reimer will miss, and while Gustavsson is expected to carry the workload this week, even if the Leafs right the ship quickly after being blown out at home, he’s still not posting quality stats.
Scrivens has terrific long-term upside, but won’t be tossed into any more situations where he’s likely to fail. Most NHL general managers and head coaches don’t want to over-expose their prized prospects, unless they absolutely have to. This is a big reason why Chicago signed Ray Emery, why Washington signed Tomas Vokoun, why St. Louis signed Brian Elliott, and why Florida prospect Jacob Markstrom has been returned to San Antonio of the AHL in exchange for a healthy Scott Clemmensen. [Click above to read the rest of the article]
I have no idea why it’s happening. I have no idea how long it has been happening. I have no idea if it will continue to happen, and I have no idea if I’ll ever see anything like it again. But for whatever reason, rookie goaltenders are finding uncanny ways to win big hockey games at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
I couldn’t imagine James Reimer’s frustration after last night’s loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. It must be like trying to diffuse a bomb with soggy toothpicks. Every start has essentially been a must-win, with absolutely no room for error. The pressure has risen to a suffocating level, while his energy and focus has withered away. Such is the life of Reimer right now – a rookie who has done everything he possibly could, but still not enough to save Toronto’s season. One or two more losses and the big playoff push will blow up in his face.